By Michael Howell
Some parents who have been picking up and dropping off their children at the school bus stop in front of the Three Mile Fire station on the Eastside Highway north of Stevensville are upset at the signs that have been placed threatening prosecution for trespassing if they continue to do it. One upset parent claims that Three Mile Fire Chief Russ Giese was irate and aggressive in his behavior when he gave her the message personally.
The signs, two posted on steel posts on the south and north sides of the property and one posted on a sandwich board in the middle, state:
DUE TO SAFETY ISSUES FOR FIRE PERSONAL (sic) AND THE PUBLIC THERE WILL BE NO PARKING OR STUDENT DROP ON THIS (sic) PREMISES VIOLATORS WILL [be] PROSECUTED. An orange on black “PRIVATE PROPERTY NO TRESSPASSING” sign is attached underneath.
Stevensville School District Superintendent David Whitesell said that some parents had come to him with complaints about the situation and told him they felt “bullied.” He said that the school district had contacted the county attorney’s office and been told that it was private property. According to Whitesell, however, the school bus stops in the roadway and is not trespassing on private property. He said some students live behind the fire station and walk up the hill to be picked up by the bus at the fire station.
“We have kids living down below there and we will continue to stop there,” said Whitesell.
According to Whitesell, the problem is between the property owner and the people who are using the property. But he said that arrangements had been made to pick up and drop off some of the other students who get picked up and dropped off by car at an alternative spot. A letter from the school transportation supervisor has been sent out to the affected parents notifying them of the new drop off spot and details.
“It is disappointing to lose this as a pick-up spot for some of our parents,” said Whitesell.
Three Mile Fire Chief Russ Giese said it is one of the parents in particular who is being rude. He also claims that the Stevensville School District is breaking state law by picking up students who live in the Lone Rock School District.
Superintendent Whitesell said that the school district is accepting children from the Lone Rock School District on the buses if they have a sibling going to Stevensville school and those with disabilities by mutual agreement with the Lone Rock District.
Giese said, “We have tried repeatedly to control the use of the place by kids and cars.” He said it was not a safe place for kids to be running around and having cars parked on the property could become a safety hazard in the wrong situation.
“We are trying to be sure we don’t have a problem,” said Giese. He said that there were other safer places for the bus to stop and that Superintendent Whitesell was “creating a bunch of issues that didn’t need to be created.” He said the school district controlled access to its property and had ‘no parking’ signs and ‘no dogs allowed’ signs.
“We are just trying to do the same thing,” said Giese. “We are trying to control the use of our property.”